Snoring Mouthpieces: Benefits And Disadvantages

Cheap, often dangerous stop snoring mouthpieces can be found at pharmacies. This is because of the fact that typically anything under $20 in the mouthpiece category is of absolutely horrible quality. This is a fact, but it certainly doesn’t stop them from being sold.

When it comes to spending too much, on the other hand, you can also have mouthpieces designed by your dentist. Usually a dentist will sell you on the idea of designing and making a device that they claim is something that will fit your mouth perfectly. Its upper and lower pieces can be designed in a way that best fits your mouth size. And then, replacement of snoring mouthpieces is recommended every six to nine month period.

The problem here? These dentist-designed mouthpieces can often run over $1000, and if you get lucky, they can be replaced for $500 about twice a year. When we first heard about this, we were shocked, especially considering the advances in the OTC snoring mouthpiece market. But again, a lot of people fall for this stuff.

Snoring mouthpieces have been used in clinical practices for many years now as a means of preventing snoring. Apart from helping with snoring, these devices also help to improve your air circulation by opening your airways thereby removing any obstruction that blocks air passage to your lungs. These devices are readily available and you can just buy one over the counter and go home and start using it immediately.

No major downsides have been reported but certain reports suggest that once a mouthpiece that uses the classic “boil and bite” sizing process has been molded, it may lose shape over time and reheating it does not restore it to its former shape and size. This is probably the major disadvantage that has been associated with these types of mouthpieces. No other significant disadvantages have been pointed out so far.

Types Of Stop Snoring Devices

There are a number of stop snoring devices that will work to alleviate your snoring problem in a convenient way. First, there are pillows which have been made to help position your neck in the right way for a good night’s sleep. They will align your neck and spine in a manner that allows for a lot of space to be available in your throat; this will alleviate the vibration of the throat’s soft tissues when air passes through.

There are also chinstraps which are used by some snorers. These are usually worn over the head and under the chin. It is claimed that they will also hold the jaw in the best position so that the airway are cleared well enough for air to pass through during sleep. The positive reports about these particular devices tend to be very anecdotal, and as of now, most chinstrap reviews have been very negative to the point that some even will complain of fraud. We do not recommend chin straps, except for maybe the mildest of snorers.

Another totally bizarre type of stop snoring devices which we are told are commonly used by snorers are snore balls. Yes. We didn’t make that up. These are basically balls that are placed on your back and therefore prevent you from sleeping on your back which can be a prime cause of snoring. The entire idea of “snore balls” is really more comedy than anything, and certainly is more of a haphazard, “I did it on a bet”-style device that we would not recommend in a million years. I mean, balls? Come on!

Choosing The Right Stop Snoring Devices

Snoring is a problem which can cause a lot of tension between you and your spouse. The good news is that there are several means that can be used to stop snoring. This article has already told you about pillows, snore balls as well as snoring mouthpieces which can be used to control this problem. When shopping for the use of these devices, there is a key component that you need to watch out for. That is, always be sure of the quality of the materials that have been used to make the device. If they are plastics, choose those which will not cause allergic reactions. Look for BPA free devices. While it is true that most devices are now BPA, remember that some of the cheap drug-store variety items may be made of shady materials. It’s not “lead in toys”-dangerous, but it is a must to avoid!

One of the things we tend to talk about on this site a lot is comfort. This should be your number one focus by far when you are looking at anything that is a sleeping aid. This is obvious, as at night when you are asleep, comfort is always the deciding factor in the quality of your REM sleep. While you may have to anticipate a bit of discomfort when you begin to use the snoring devices, this discomfort should never be long term or harm your sleep in any way. If you will have trouble wearing a mandibular advancement mouthpiece, try a tongue retaining one instead. If one snoring pillow is too firm for you, try a different one.

In the end, your goal should always be the best sleep possible. Devices should only help achieve this goal. Do not settle for substandard devices.